Meet the Maker
JANELLE WALD
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Our grandmothers shared recipes and wisdom that shaped us into strong women. Modern life may be chaotic and our “to do” lists may be longer than our arms, but we haven’t lost touch with that wisdom.
I created AthenaStirs to support our busy lifestyles and help us handle everything on our plates—including making culinary masterpieces our grandmothers would be proud of.
Our aprons complement our creativity and our curves. They clean up easily, keep us cool when the kitchen gets hot, and bring out the goddess under the clutter.
Join Team Athena, apron up, and rock on!
Get your apron on in the kitchen, the garden, or at the craft table! Our aprons can handle your messiest projects and make clean up easy. When you’re finished getting messy, just toss your apron in the laundry. Isn’t uncomplicated nice?
Specialty fabric flatters and wicks moisture away from your body, keeping you cool over a hot stove or under the sun in the garden. A stylish look with no bunching means it doesn’t restrict movement or get in your way, so you’re free to move.
What you need, where you need it. Pockets hold everything from spatulas to garden trowels, keeping it all on hand but out of your way.
Mission
It is my hope that you wrap up and feel at home in AthenaStirs: happy and empowered, protected, and thriving!
Get your apron — live your dreams
JANUARY 2013
Beginning of product development
SEPTEMBER 2013
Placed first material order
APRIL 2014
First batch of Legacy Collection aprons produced
APRIL 2021
Launch of the website, printed aprons
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AthenaStirs: The Story of Movement, Wisdom, and Courage
Chapter 1: Origins—A Northern Plains Folktale
Born in the sweeping landscapes of Minnesota, where winters stretch long and summers glisten over thousands of lakes, Janelle was raised in a world where tradition met quiet rebellion. The granddaughter of two women, she inherited wisdom in flour-dusted kitchens and under the watchful eyes of grandmothers who wove warmth and resilience into every meal.
Her childhood was stitched together with crisp autumn mornings, the scent of fresh dill in the garden, and the rhythmic hum of a sewing machine. Her mother, a skilled sewist, and her father, a builder of structures and dreams, shaped her with the ethos of creativity, craftsmanship, and grit. But it was the grandmothers, a spirited stylist and saleswoman, and the other, a patient peacemaker and culinary artist—who truly stirred her soul. Together, they conjured an unshakable foundation of strength, presentation, and quiet confidence. Their lessons simmered, waiting for the moment she would take them beyond the borders of her small-town world.
Chapter 2: The Stirring—A Journey Beyond the Breadbasket
Janelle’s spirit was restless. She longed for a world beyond the cozy cottage, beyond the lakes, beyond the rhythm of Minnesota’s seasons. At twenty, with fire in her heart and a hunger for the unknown, she left for the deep, sultry South—New Orleans, a city of movement, music, and spice.
In the heart of the French Quarter, she encountered a new kind of storytelling—one told through flavors, textures, and experiences. She immersed herself in the sensory richness of Creole cuisine, the elegance of fine dining, and the artistry of food as a celebration of life. As a catering intern for one of the venues with the largest balcony on Bourbon Street, she learned that food was more than sustenance—it was an expression, a performance, a shared luxury.
But it wasn’t just the food that changed her—it was the rhythm of the city, the boldness of its people, the fluidity of movement. Here, she understood that transformation isn’t just about escape—it’s about stirring what’s inside you and bringing it to life.
Chapter 3: The Goddess Awakens—AthenaStirs is Born
From the wisdom of her grandmothers, the movement of her travels, and the courage to embrace her own artistry, AthenaStirs was created. A brand not just of aprons, but of presence, ritual, and transformation. The AthenaStirs Apron is not just fabric—it is a dream, a symbol, a call to action. Inspired by the goddess of wisdom herself, it is designed for the modern creator—who moves with purpose, who dares to stir worlds, who embraces both the mess and the mastery of life.Simple yet unusual. Feminine yet strong. Functional yet evocative.It is the apron you slip on when you are ready to create, to nourish, to experiment. A luxurious necessity, tailored to hold space for your creativity. It does not constrain—it frees. It moves with you, offering a quiet elegance, a subtle confidence, a whisper of those who came before and the ones who will follow.AthenaStirs is more than an apron—it is a movement. A reminder that life is meant to be stirred, tasted, and savored. That courage is not in the absence of fear but in the act of creation itself.So, rise. Embrace the beauty of the modern mess. Stir your life. Get your AthenaStirs apron on.
What stirs you?
